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[[Image:Ignatios of Antioch.jpg|right|thumb|St. Ignatius of Antioch]]Our father among the saints '''Ignatius the God-bearer of Antioch''' (probably died AD 107) was the third [[bishop]] of Antioch, after the [[Apostle Peter]] and [[Euodius Euodios of Antioch|EuodiusEuodios]], whom Ignatius succeeded around AD 68. Ignatius, who also called himself '''Theophorus''' ("[[God-bearer]]"), was most likely a disciple of both [[Apostle|Apostles]] [[Apostle Peter|Peter]] and [[Apostle John|John]]. Several of his letters have survived to this day; he is one of the [[Apostolic Fathers]] (the earliest group of the [[Church Fathers]]), and a [[saint]] in the [[Orthodox Church]] (feastday, [[December 20]]).

He was arrested by the Roman authorities and transported to Rome to die in the arena. They hoped to make an example of him and thus discourage [[Introduction to Orthodox Christianity|Christianity]] from spreading. Instead, he met with and encouraged Christians all along his route, and wrote letters to the Ephesians, Magnesians, Trallians, Philadelphians, Smyrneans, and Romans, as well as a letter to [[Polycarp of Smyrna|Polycarp]], who was [[bishop]] of Smyrna and a disciple of [[Apostle John|John the Evangelist]].

These letters proved to be influential in the development of Christian [[theology]], since the number of extant writings from this period of Church history is very small. They bear signs of being written in great haste and without a proper plan, such as run-on sentences and an unsystematic succesion of thought. Ignatius is the first known Christian writer to put great stress on loyality to a single [[bishop]] in each city, who is assisted by both [[presbyter]]s ([[priest]]s) and [[deacon]]s. Earlier writings only mention ''either'' bishops ''or'' presbyters, and give the impression that there was usually more than one bishop per [[congregation]]. Ignatius also stresses the value of the [[Eucharist]], calling it "a medicine to immortality." The very strong desire for bloody [[martyr]]dom in the arena, which Ignatius expresses rather graphically in places, may seem quite odd to the modern reader, but an examination of his theology of [[soteriology]] shows that he regarded salvation as being from the power and fear of death. So, for him, to try to escape his martyrdom would be to fear death and place himself back under its power.

before=[[Euodias Euodios of Antioch|EuodiasEuodios]]|

*[http://www.chrysostom.org/andrew/texts/Ignatius-ecclesiology.pdf "Found to be above death": Ecclesiology as Eucharistic Soteriology in the epistles of St. Ignatius of Antioch], by [[User:ASDamick|Andrew Stephen Damick]]*[http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/specialpeople/131christiansmartyrs/ignatiusantiochignatius-of-antioch.html Ignatius of Antioch - 131 Christians Everyone Should Know] from [http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/ Christian History] magazine*[http://www.comeandseeiconsgoarch.comorg/ichapel/mgo34.htm Icon of saints_view?contentid=346 Ignatius the Martyrdom of St. Ignatius of Antioch]*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/i/bmp22.htm Icon and Story of St. Ignatius God-Bearer, Bishop of Antioch]from GOARCH